Privilege escalation via unchecked BootROM write
Published Sep 1, 2025 · Updated Sep 1, 2025
An unchecked write in Unisoc SC9863A, T310, T610, and T618 BootROM allows physically proximate attackers to execute privileged code. The cmd_start handler accepts an attacker-selected target address, and cmd_recv_data copies attacker-controlled bytes to that pointer without validating the destination. Brief physical access to recovery mode over USB or UART is sufficient to overwrite a function pointer or stack return address and run code with BootROM privileges.
Summary
What happened
An unchecked write in Unisoc SC9863A, T310, T610, and T618 BootROM allows physically proximate attackers to execute privileged code. The cmd_start handler accepts an attacker-selected target address, and cmd_recv_data copies attacker-controlled bytes to that pointer without validating the destination. Brief physical access to recovery mode over USB or UART is sufficient to overwrite a function pointer or stack return address and run code with BootROM privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-38694
- Published
- Sep 1, 2025
- Updated
- Sep 1, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-250, T1068
- Attack vector
- physical
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 1, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- CVE-2022-38694 unlock bootloaderfunctional · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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